Safety-clasp



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS DINHOFER, OF NEW YORK, N'. Y.

SAFETY-CLASP.

` Application ined March 2,

T o all whom t may cofncem:

Be it known that I, JULiUs DINHorER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improveinent in Safety-Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a clasp or catch of the character used on necklaces, strings of pearls, or like articles and the object of this invention is to provide a catch of that character which will provide a secure and safe fastening device preventing inadvertent opening and consequent loss of necklaces.

A further object of this invention is to provide a catch or safety clasp which will be so secure and eective in use that the same cannot be readily opened whereby theft of the article to which the clasp is secured is effectively prevented.

With these objects and other objects which may hereinafter appear in view, I have devised the particular arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

Reference is to be had to the accompany- ,ing drawing forming a part hereof in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the locking member of the clasp,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the saine,l

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the entire clasp,

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views showing the action of the locking member and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the casing member of the clasp.

Throughout the various views of the drawings, similar reference characters indicate similar parts. t

In the preferred embodiment of my 'invention as disclosed in the accompanying drawing, the locking member of the clasp is indicated at 1. This locking member preferably consists of a flat strip of material divided longitudinally to form a pair of resilient, normally separated spring arms 2 and 3. The free end of each of these arms is provided with a lateral projection 4 which forms a gripping means for manually bringing the arms together or moving them toward one another to release the locking member from the casing as will be hereinafter set forth.

At one end the arms 2 and 3 are connected by a loop portion 5 and extending there- Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 19, 1921.

1921. serial No. 449,118.

from is'a resilient tongue or latch 7 which, for a distance, lies coextensive with one of the arms. The spring arm 3 is provided with a notch 8 adjacent its free end which forms a locking means for the clasp as will be described hereinafter.

At 9 is the casing for the locking member which preferably consists of a pair of spaced-apart plates 10. These plates may be of any suitable outline and may be perforated, ornamented or set with jewels as may be desired. The two plates are held in spaced-apart relationship by suitable spacing pins 11 and 12. The casing is also provided at one of its ends with a link 13 to permit the device to be attached to the necklace or other article.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device will be readily understood.

Fig. 3 shows the clasp in its closed position. To close the clasp, the tongue or latch 7 is hooked around one of the spacing pins l1 on the casing 9 as shown` in Fig. 5. The locking member 1 is then slid within the casing and spacing pin 11 snaps into engagement with the notch 8 and holds the clasp in its closed position. To open the clasp and separate the two members 1 and 9, the two arms 2 and 3 are pressed toward one another by pressure on the projections 4 and the locking member may be then drawn out of the casing to reach the position shown in. Fig. 4 where it will be seen that the spacing pin` 11 forms an abutment for the spring tongue 7. If additional outward pull is placed on the locking member 1, the spring tongue 7 will be caused to slide over the pin 11 until the device reaches the position shown in Fig. 5 with the spring tongue hooked around the pin 11 from which position the locking member 1 can` be unhooked from engagement with the pin 11.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the device locks in three positions, the first being when the pin 11 engaged with the notch 8 as shown in Fig. 3; the second locked position being when. the end of the spring tongue abuts against the pin 11 and the third being when the spring tongue 7 is hooked around the pin 11.

It will be obvious that it will be very difficult for the two parts 1 and 9 of the device to become inadvertently separated and an extremely secure and efficient device is provided.

What I claim is: v l. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a locking member slidable Within the same, said locking member havlocking member and a pin within said. casing adapted to be engaged thereby.

fl. A device oi' the class described coniprising a locking member for clasps having a pair oi' normally separated spring arms, and a hook-shaped spring tongue extending for a distance co-extensive with one of said arms.

A device of the class described con1- prising a casing, a pin therein, a slidable locking member having a pair of arms, a spring tongue on said locking member adapted to extend around said pin and means on one of said arms for engaging with said pin.

Signed at the city, county, and State of New York this lst dat7 of March, 1.921.

JULIUS DINI-IOFER. 

